“It’s an important job and she was good at it,” the official said. “She will stay until her successor is identified, which is immensely helpful.”

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Townsend, the assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, was one of the president’s most valued and trusted advisers, with a phone on her desk connecting her to No. 10 Downing Street, the British prime minister’s office.

She also brought a touch of glamour to a buttoned-down administration, and was one of the White House’s most popular television guests.

Townsend, who had a warm relationship with Bush, had a varied portfolio that included White House preparations for a flu pandemic.

A former mob prosecutor from Manhattan, Townsend was put in charge of the White House’s “lessons learned” inquest after the botched response to Hurricane Katrina.

Townsend had served in President Bill Clinton’s Justice Department. She came to the White House from the Coast Guard, and was named homeland security adviser in May 2004.

President Bush said in a lengthy statement this morning that Townsend “has always provided wise counsel on how to best protect the American people from the threat of terrorism,” and called her “a steady leader in the effort to prevent and disrupt attacks and to better respond to natural disasters.”

“With her extensive experience, intellect and candor, Fran has ably guided the Homeland Security Council,” Bush added. “We are safer today because of her leadership. Laura and I wish Fran, her husband John, and their two sons, James and Patrick, all the best.”